Arahant to Bodhisattva

Arahant

 One who has attained the goal of

enlightenment.
 Highest spiritual level in Hinayana
 Free from asravas + klesas + samyojana
 Asrava (Asava) : outflow
Cognitive and affective impediment
1) Kamasava: sense-desires
2) Bhavasava: desire for continued
existence
3) Ditthasava: wrong views
4) Avijjasava: ignorance
 Klesa (kilesa): affliction
Defilements, vices, or negative psychological
tendencies.
Lobha : greed
Dosa : hatred
Moha : delusion
Abhidharmakosa: 6 klesas
Visuddhimagga: 10 kilesas
 Samyojana : binding
‘fetters’ – limitation or restriction. Binds to the
samsara.
1) Belief in permanent self (satkaya-drsti)
2) Skeptical doubt (vicikitsa)
3) Obsession with rules + rituals (silavrta-
paramarsa)
4) Sensuous craving (kama-raga)
5) Hatred (vyapada)
 Samyojana : binding

6) Craving for the form realm (raga-rupa-dhatu)

7) Craving for the formless realm (raga-arupya-dhatu)
8) Conceit (asmi-mana)
9) Restlessness (uddhatya)
10) Ignorance (avidya)
Samyojana and spiritual status

1) sotapanna (srotapanna): ‘stream-enterer’

Free from the first 3 fetters.
Will undergo a maximum 7 more rebirths in the higher
realms of rebirth.
Klesas present.
Samyojana and spiritual status 2
2) Sakadagamin (sakridagamin) : “once
returner”
Free from first 5 fetters.
Reborn only once more before the
attainment of nirvana.
Klesas present only to a slight extent.
Samyojana and spiritual status 3

Anagamin : non-returner
Free from first 5 fetters.
Never again reborn in this world.
Samyojana and spiritual status 4
Arahant (arhat) : destroyer or enemy,
worthy-one
Freed from all samyojana
Attains sopadhisesa nirvana
 Bodhi and Yana
 Three yana
 Three bodhi
1) Sravakayana
1) Srvakabodhi 2) Pratyekabuddha-
2) Pratyekabodhi yana
3) Anuttara-samyag- 3) Bodhisattvayana
sambodhi (renamed later as
Mahayana)
 Bodhisattva
 Enlightened being
 Bodhisakta (oriented towards enlightenment)
 Bodhi+buddhajnana
 Begins his career by pranidhana
 Attained sad-paramitas: dana, sila, ksanti,
virya, dhyana, prajna
 Prajna + Karuna
 Strives to become a Buddha
Some bodhisattvas
 Bodhi
 Two qualifying adjectives are associated
with the term bodhi
 1) samyak (right, perfect)
 2) anuttara (nothing higher, without a
superior, incomparable)
 Arahant and Bodhisattva
 Arahant  Bodhisattva
1) Introvert 1) Extrovert
2) One’s own liberation 2) Liberation of all
Aims at nirvana by Aims at the bodhi +
eliminating asrvas buddhajnana
3) austere, saintly, self- 3) Compassionate and
restrained, meditative active, altruistic
ascetic, but self-centred
 Buddha
 A Buddha is one who has acquired the
10 balas, 4 vaisaradyas, and 18 avenika-
dharmas. No being possesses these
attributes.
 Types of bodhisattvas
 Manjushri — embodies Buddha’s wisdom (prajna)
 Avalokiteshvara — embodies Buddha’s
compassion (Karuna)
 Vajrapani — embodies Buddha’s power
 Maitreya — embodies Buddha’s activity (He is
also the “Future Buddha”)
 Kshitigarbha — embodies Buddha’s merits and
the “richness” derived from merits
 Samantabhadra — embodies the aspirations of
Buddha and the practice of prayers and offerings.